Posted in August 2011 …

Ed note: Lest I give you the impression that we’ve been crying in our Mickey O’s the whole time we’ve been here, I thought I’d share some of my favorite moments from the past few days. * There are two things in this world that my girl simply adores – carnival rides and characters. She’ll … Continue reading →

* Well hello there, beautiful you. How are you? I pray that if you’re in Irene’s path you’ve managed to stay safe. That storm has wreaked havoc with everyone, but I’ll be damned if our kids haven’t gotten the worst of it. From turbo-charged anxiety to hypersensitivity to changes in pressure, our poor kiddos take … Continue reading →

. In case it’s not obvious, this is not my actual refrigerator. I’m thinking it’s not really anyone’s actual refrigerator cause not for nothin’, but who the heck has an entire shelf of tomatoes? Or not one but three large bottles of coke? Right? Right. ** 8:30 p.m. Just before bedtime. I hear Brooke make … Continue reading →

Ed note: The following story is somewhat edited / abbreviated lest this post be reeeeeeally long and drag in a bunch of stuff that needn’t be dragged in. You’re welcome. * * I pick up the phone on my desk at work. It’s Katie. She is crying. “Mama, it’s me. I’m at the pool with … Continue reading →

* In the car last week: Brooke, excitedly: Katie, look! There’s them elephants! My heart fills with pride. I will never, ever tire of hearing my girl say, “Look!” No, it took too long to get here to be taken for granted. Katie, confused: What elephants, Brooke? I don’t see any elephants. Brooke: Pretend! And pretending! … Continue reading →

It’s not living if you don’t reach for the sky I’ll have tears as you take off But I’ll cheer as you fly ~ Mark Harris, Find your Wings * Last Wednesday night – the eve of Katie’s record-breaking four night stay at her Grammy’s house … ** After talking about nothing else for the … Continue reading →

Ed note: We now return to our regularly scheduled programming, but not before I thank you again for the overwhelmingly positive response to yesterday’s post, We Shall Be Free. I wish I could respond to your comments individually, but alas, there simply aren’t enough hours in a day. That said, I would be grateful if … Continue reading →

Ed note: I’m somewhat fearful about hitting publish on this post. I hope that if you disagree with what I have to say here, that you will respond thoughtfully and afford me the respect that I promise in return. I know this is a touchy subject, but it is also one about which I feel … Continue reading →

Mid-May. We are in a team meeting at Brooke’s school discussing, among other things, her summer services. The principal has decided to sit in on the meeting. “So it’s a six-week program?” she asks, looking to Brooke’s inclusion specialist for confirmation. She nods. The principal addresses her next question to me and Luau. “So is … Continue reading →

** So my birthday has come and gone. And as hard as it may be to believe, no one got me the pony. Or the house on Nantucket. Or George Clooney. I didn’t even get the Christian Louboutin pumps. I know! I was shocked too. But as it turned out, my list was seriously lacking in … Continue reading →